There exist many assemblies that are composed of parts that require temporary securing of primary parts to secondary parts. Temporarily securing parts to each other is commonly achieved by a device known as a latch. Some examples of latch applications seen in everyday life which temporarily secure one part to another are: an engine compartment hood on a commercial vehicle, such as a tractor-trailer and a JEEP; a tool box lid secured to its main compartment; compartment doors for heavy duty vehicles, such as contractor trucks, fire engines, and utility trucks; and service panel doors in commercial buildings. The applications for latches are as diverse as the imaginations of the designers and manufacturers who make assemblies that require temporary securing of covers, lids, and parts to other parts of in assemblies.
In manufacturing environments such as production lines, there are lids and covers to equipment that require continual opening and closing and securing the lids and covers while an operation is performed within the equipment. Latches that secure these lids and covers are not commonly visible in everyday life. There application in a manufacturing environment require that they undergo many more latch/unlatch cycles that would typically be experienced in an everyday consumer application.